1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to ballistic resistant garments and, more particularly, to load bearing tactical vests for police and military use. Specifically, the present invention relates to an improved load bearing protective vest that is adaptable to the ballistic and tactical requirements of an individual user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Ballistic resistant garments and particularly vests have become standard equipment in law-enforcement offices and in the military. These vests are typically made of a fabric shell, usually of a woven material, and contain compartments in the form of pockets. Such vests generally fully encircled the torso of a wearer and include a plurality of panels of impact absorbing anti-ballistic material such as Kevlar, a registered trademark of E. I. Du Pont, Inc., or other soft body armor such as Spectra, a registered trademark of Allied Signal, Inc., and Twaron, a registered trademark of Akzo, Inc. Such vests are generally designed so that the torso of the wearer is surrounded, at least from the neck to the waist, with a layer of protective panels. These vests are commonly known by the public as bulletproof vests, and by the law-enforcement community as body armor, and the terms are used interchangeably. Such vests resist and usually prevent penetration by most small arms bullets when effectively worn.
Routine usage of these vests provides military personnel and law-enforcement officers a degree of protection from injury or death by firearms. Such regular or routine usage, however, subjects the law-enforcement officer to considerable inconvenience and discomfort. Such vests are commonly worn beneath the shirt of a standard uniform, and typical vest usage requires the law-enforcement officer to wear the vest throughout the entire workday, particularly on street duty. Examples of such vests are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,008,959, 5,373,582, 5,495,621, 5,619,748, 5,677,029 and 5,754,982. In certain special instances, however, domestic police forces charged with the responsibility of combating criminals have operated in special paramilitary groups. Such special teams of police are known as "Special Weapons and Tactics" (SWAT) squads and the like. In these instances, the standard or typical bulletproof vest is insufficient by itself.
In such special police or military operations, individuals have often found themselves in the position of fighting at close quarters. In such situations, there is an important need for quick access to ammunition, rations, auxiliary weapons, radios and ancillary supplies. These are generally carried by the individual close to the person's body to prevent entanglement with foliage or other items and to minimize the noise created by such objects. At the same time, it is desirable to permit ready access by the individual to any of the supplies even though he may be pinned down to the ground by weapons fire or by the need to camouflage himself. To accommodate these various needs, vests are often worn over the shirts of the individual, and the various items listed above are secured to the exterior of such vests. Examples of these types of vests are illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,106,121, 5,060,314, 5,265,782, 5,617,582 and 5,797,140.
In these police operations, the responsibility of the police is to subdue the criminal and take him alive if possible. Such situations often arrive on short notice and dictate the requirement that the vest be operational with very little loss of time and efficiency. Furthermore, there is the need for close proximity of the policeman to the criminal. It is also desirable that such a vest fit snugly over the body with or without armor or with partial armor worn underneath. Typically, an officer will be required to wear a body armor vest or garment of some sort over which is placed an outer vest which carries the required equipment and supply receptacles. Thus, if a police or military officer desires to have several types of body armor in addition to a supply vest, the individual must frequently wear several layers of vests or garments to accomplish the desired end. This is uncomfortable and cumbersome. Therefore, there remains a distinct need to have a ballistic resistant vest or garment which is individually capable of incorporating different types of body armor or ballistic resistant items therein in accordance with the desires or needs of the individual wearing the vest in addition to having the capability of selectively positioning supply receptacles or other auxiliary items on the exterior of the vest in the manner desired by the particular needs and desires of the individual wearing the vest.